Physics Curriculum using Project Based Learning

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The College at Brockport: State University of New York The College at Brockport: State University of New York

Digital Commons @Brockport

Education and Human Development Master's

Theses Education and Human Development

Fall 2018

Physics Curriculum using Project Based Learning

Miranda Wharram-Santillo

[email protected]

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Repository Citation Repository Citation

Wharram-Santillo, Miranda, "Physics Curriculum using Project Based Learning" (2018). Education and Human Development Master's Theses. 1208.

https://digitalcommons.brockport.edu/ehd_theses/1208

This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Education and Human Development at Digital Commons @Brockport. It has been accepted for inclusion in Education and Human Development Master's Theses

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Physics Curriculum using Project Based Learning By: Miranda Wharram-Santillo

A project submitted to the

Department of Education and Human Development of the State University of New York College at Brockport in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

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Physics Curriculum using Project Based Learning By: Miranda Wharram-Santillo

APPROVED BY:

_________________________________ ________

Advisor Date

_________________________________ ________ Director, Graduate Programs Date

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Table of Contents Chapter One:

Introduction……….

4

Chapter Two: _{Review of Literature……… 6}

Chapter Three: _{Narrative……….. 22}

Project One………... 24 Project Two………... 38 Project Three………... 52 Project Four………... 60 Project Five………... 71 Reflective Discussion………... 83 References………. 86

List of Project Based Learning (PBL) Project Outlines Project 1 Outline:... 25

Project 2 Outline:... 39

List of Project Based Learning (PBL) Rubrics Project 1 Rubric:... 28

Project 2 Rubric:... 42

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List of Project Based Learning (PBL) Sample Lessons

Project 1 Sample Lessons:... 31

List of Project Based Learning (PBL) Assessments Project 1 Assessments:... 36

Project 2 Assessments:... 50

Project 3 Assessment:... 60

List of Project Based Learning (PBL) Calendars Project 1 Calendar:... 29

Project 2 Calendar:... 43

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Chapter One: Introduction

Problem based learning (PBL) in the classroom has been used for some time. It started out in the medical field and has made its way into the educational field due to the tremendous gains made by the students. PBL has a positive effect on knowledge retention due to the fact that PBL requires students to learn in a constructivist manner instead of just recalling facts (Kin Hang Wong & Day, 2009).

PBL allows for students to be at the center of the lesson. Studies have shown that PBL is more effective than conventional teaching approaches because it allows the students to develop greater motivation, interest in subjects, learning satisfaction, confidence in learning, knowledge acquisition, using their resources, and self-directed work. PBL is especially useful because it allows the students to solve meaningful and authentic problems through inquiry or discovery (Kin Hang Wong & Day, 2009). This knowledge retention is measured in two ways in PBL; there is the traditional form of formative and informative assessments and with the project component, a rubric as well. The students are expected to collaborate together to earn a shared grade on the outcome of their project. The students and teacher work together to ensure that everyone understands the rubric and find it fair. This rubric is then used as a reflection tool throughout the problem both on individual components and team components (McDonald, 2008). Throughout the project, students are provided feedback both from their peers and from the teacher. This feedback opportunity allows for students to learn and improve their project

outcome. The use of PBL and the reflection techniques not only allow for the students to walk away from the class better understanding the concepts, but they also develop necessary career skills such as collaboration and using their resources.

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In order to arrive at this satisfaction, there is some adjustment needed at the beginning of the course. The students in most cases are used to being spoon fed information, therefore it takes some time to adjust to being in the driver's seat to their learning. When implemented in the classroom students would do the bare minimum. Many students would skip brainstorming and elaborating of their ideas and try to complete the task fast and on the first try (Hung, 2011). Once the students are provided supports and become used to guiding their learning they will be able to flourish.

PBL and the use of inquiry labs can be integrated into a new structured physics class. This new structure allows for students to learn through questioning personal experiences and scenarios. The students will become successful both in the lab setting and on their assessments. He found that the students had a better grasp of basic physics concepts and a better

understanding of the process of science. The students showed significant improvements in real world connection, problem solving general, and problem solving confidence (Madsen, 2011). The reconfiguration of the physics curriculum will allow for students to learn physics as it applies to their daily lives therefore making it more applicable.

My final project will consist of a series of projects making up a project based learning physics curriculum. Each project will consist of a scenario or experience the students have or could encounter at some point in their life. These scenarios and experiences will shape the flow of the curriculum as well as form the essential question to be answered at the end of each project. This curriculum will cover the same standards required of a traditional high school physics, just in a different way. Similar to curriculum created by Martinás and Tremmel, the students will learn concepts that apply to each of the scenarios (2014). Concepts can reoccur thus allowing for

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more connections to be made to the concepts. It is important when creating the different projects, that over the span of the curriculum, each standard is addressed at least once in the projects. The structure of a problem is crucial to student understanding. When a problem is well-structured students have strategies to tackle the problem and be successful in project based learning (Svihla & Reeve, 2016). Drafting the project or problem is going to be a crucial first step in order to ensure a flow in the curriculum and that the students and teacher alike, understand what is expected of them.

Once the curriculum is created, it can be used as a guide or reference for educators in physics to allow for a student centered classroom in which everything applies back to the students’ lives. By breaking down the projects, it will allow for educators to have a path to follow in their own classroom.

Chapter Two: Review of Literature Introduction

Problem based learning (PBL) in the classroom has been used for sometime. It started out in the medical field and has made its way into the educational field due to the tremendous gains made by the students. PBL has a positive effect on knowledge retention due to the fact that PBL requires students to learn in a constructivist manner instead of just recalling facts (Kin Hang Wong & Day, 2009). This knowledge retention is measured in two ways in PBL; there is the traditional form of formative and informative assessments and with the project component, a rubric as well. The students are expected to collaborate together to earn a shared grade on the outcome of their project. Throughout the project, students are provided feedback both from their peers and from the teacher. This feedback opportunity allows for students to learn and improve

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their project outcome. The students and teacher work together from there to add more detail to ensure that everyone understands the rubric and find it fair. This rubric is then used as a reflection tool throughout the problem both on individual components and team components (McDonald, 2008). Individual components can be inquiry labs that address a prompt similar to the problem they are trying to solve in the project or it could be a formative assessment. Inquiry labs follow a similar premise as PBL in that it provides a guiding question and has the students fill in the blanks. With the students doing the research, they are in charge of understanding the concepts and being able to measure them to justify their thinking. PBL and the use of inquiry labs can be integrated into a new structured physics class. This new structure allows for students to learn through questioning personal experiences and scenarios. In applying the concepts to the students lives, it will provide an interest on the students part which allows for better retention. Contemporary Trends in Science Education: Classroom Environment

In the 21st century, the purpose of education is to create students that build knowledge based on previous knowledge, students who know when to use certain knowledge, and students that are capable of solving problems with both previous and new knowledge. It allows for the students to reflect on their learning and apply it to their daily lives. This approach creates an environment in which students take ownership for their learning. Teachers in this classroom environment would motivate their students and encourage them to stay focused, therefore taking on a role of a facilitator (Nayman, Berber, Anagun, & Yildiz, 2015). To have the opportunity to build knowledge, it is commonly believed that the teacher would need to utilize inquiry. Inquiry allows for the students to work together to discover concepts and relationships and then

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learning and challenging their thinking (Dickson, Kadbey, & McMinn, 2016). In order to take ownership of their learning and to build on their knowledge students would need to use strategies provided by the teacher. From the survey it concludes that the strategies a teacher utilizes

impacts the learning environment in the classroom. The students stated that learning through project based learning allowed for a more enjoyable class, the teacher is supportive, and the students were more satisfied with class as a whole. The study also found that the teacher-student relationships were significantly better for the students learning through project based learning. They felt that the teacher was more helpful and sincerely cared about the students. These students found the environment to be less tense and the tasks were less difficult. This can be explained through students being more actively involved in their learning and therefore have more control of their learning (Hugert, 2016). Having a positive classroom environment is important in order for students to be willing to take risks. When a teacher has the right strategies in place and utilizes inquiry through problem based learning, it allows for the students to build on their knowledge base.

Gender in the Classroom

When one hears physics, they usually have one of two responses, oh that is interesting or physics is difficult. Physics and science in general, has created a culture that has discrete

characteristics. Many think of scientists as white men in lab coats finding new discoveries. Being a female in a science field is considered an outlier or contradictory. This idea is shared in the community and therefore is being broadcasted to students. In having female students seen as outliers in science, they are being filtered out of science classes due to feeling a lack of belonging in a community (Corbett, 2016). Women continue to be underrepresented in STEM

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fields and girls as early as seventh grade have a fixed mindset about science. With this fixed mindset, it is difficult to get girls interested in science let alone a career in it (Kerr, 2016). Women in the USA and in Chile are in the minority of science classes. Around 20% of females initially register in a science field as an undergraduate in the United States. Through comparisons of applications in 2010 to a Chilean University, the gender gap can be verified (Gándara & Silva, 2016). The gender gap in science can be seen as early as seventh grade and continues into

careers. Due to the the lack of belonging in the science community and the fixed mindsets many people share, women continue to be underrepresented in science classes and fields.

Crosscutting Concepts

Crosscutting concepts can be used as both lenses and tools to help students gain understanding in the classroom. The use of crosscutting concepts allow for students to gain a deeper understanding of one disciplinary core idea while making connections across other disciplinary core ideas. These connections can be made through the same science discipline or other scenarios. When planning the use of crosscutting concepts through a lens it allows teachers to analyze core ideas by looking at the concept through a different perspective. The use of crosscutting concepts as a tool allows for the teacher to consider how to develop deeper learning and understanding of core ideas or concepts. Connections can also be a great avenue for the use of crosscutting concepts as a teacher because it allows for the teacher to facilitate connections across different science disciplines and different core concepts. This integration of crosscutting concepts into the planning will allow for teachers to maximize learning through the use of the Next Generation Science Standards (Fick, Arias, & Baek, 2017). These standards outline a progression of learning on a larger scale from elementary to secondary; therefore leaving

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teachers to decipher and incorporate them into their lessons. This study created a rubric in the hopes of helping teachers plan how to make the connections between learning outcomes and crosscutting concepts. Through this assessment formation, the use of Bloom’s Taxonomy, and the rubric, teachers should be able to plan to have students understanding concepts deeper and making connections between different sciences (Mohl, Fifield, Lafond, Michman, Saxton, & Smith, 2017). Another form of incorporation and assessment of crosscutting concepts are cross cutter cards. Cross Cutter Cards are a formative assessment to be used in the lesson to ensure the teacher is emphasizing the crosscutting concepts as well as the students using and applying them (German, 2017). Through students making connects to other concepts and scenarios, it allows for deeper understanding. The new standards require teachers to incorporate them into their

classroom and therefore would need to implement and assess them. The use of a rubric or cross cutter cards, allows for a teacher to plan and assess purposefully.

Problem Solving in the High School Science Classroom

Physicists have noted that many students do not learn enough conceptual physics from the conventional way of teaching. Many students leave with the same or more misconceptions which adds on to the difficult of mathematically solving problems in physics. Both in the college and high school setting, many students are asked to “plug and chug” their way through the problem without understanding the concepts behind the variables or equations (Gok, 2015). Engagement and interest in science tends to dwindle as students get older. Other studies have claimed that technology contests that have high-pressure or are competitive can draw students back into being interested in science. These science and technology contests are based around problems that have multiple solutions. The idea behind each of these events is problem solving.

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Before students can first engage in problem solving, they must determine and accept a problem. Through accepting the problem, this begins to shape the students attitude towards problem solving (Huang, Chiu, & Hong, 2016). In order to find a solution, the students need to ask questions, in the case of these Iowa students they first formulated questions they personally felt connected to in the local news. Once these questions were made, the students applied content they had learned and inquiry techniques, to answer questions they made from the news. Through this form of questioning, it provided motivating opportunities for students to interact with their peers, teachers, and community members as they search for information, consider alternative solutions, and apply these experiences to deal with a variety of real world issues (Akcay, n.d.). The use of problem solving skills can draw students interest back as well as allow for students to better understand the concepts. In better understanding concepts, the students will be able to understand the concepts behind equations instead of plugging in numbers to an equation. Technology in the Classroom

Technology is an encouraged medium to be used in the classroom due to students savviness and interest. This study looks at the integration of technology with problem based learning to determine the outcome of the two being intertwined. When analyzing the qualitative data it was found that having a blend of face to face interactions with online work was liked and beneficial to the students. The groups found that having the mix of online discussions and face to face interactions cleared up misunderstandings and allowed for the group to in a sense make up and move on. At the end of the study, all groups were able to successfully produce a collective product. Individually the students did well when using an electronic journal for the conceptual pieces as well (Donnelly, 2010). On the questionnaire, all participants enjoyed the integration of

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the technology through their high ranking remarks on positively framed questions and their low remarks on frustration related questions. Thus suggesting the experience was well perceived with levels of communication, interactions, reflection, learning, and satisfaction ranking high. When analyzing the form of communication and reflection, the findings were the students used the technology frequently as a way of communicating research done in and out of class as well as posing questions leading to the solution to the problem (Ioannou, Vasiliou, & Zaphiris, 2016). None of the students expressed a negative opinion on the online integration into the classroom. The professor also noted in observation, students did not use the online platform as a way to communicate in their group, instead they utilized face to face interactions (Tambouris, Panopoulou, Tarabanis, Ryberg, Buus, Peristeras, Lee, & Porwol, 2012). The integration of technology into the classroom provides a way to communicate in a group both in and out of the classroom. By allowing students to use technology as a resource of research, it allows the students to explore concepts and determine their own understandings.

Problem Based Learning: What Problem Based Learning is

Problem based learning first emerged in the 1960s in the medical field in an attempt to engage students in real problems doctors encounter. This idea has been translated into education, by having teachers give students a real life problem for students to solve. The idea is the problem will provide a context for learning and interest the students. The students in small groups will work together to contemplate the problem, determine what they need to learn in order to achieve or create a solution, and then work towards this goal (Pease & Kuhn, 2011). Studies have shown that PBL is more effective than conventional teaching approaches because it allows the students to develop greater motivation, interest in subjects, learning satisfaction, confidence in learning,

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knowledge acquisition, using their resources, and self-directed work. PBL is especially useful because it allows the students to solve meaningful and authentic problems through inquiry or discovery (Kin Hang Wong & Day, 2009). There is evidence to support the effectiveness of PBL in helping students learn higher-order thinking skills as well as discipline-based content (Ertmer, Schlosser, Clase, Adedokun, 2014). The use of PBL in the classroom not only allows for

students to develop critical thinking skills in order to learn content but life skills such as communication skills, in order to become better professionals as well.

Challenges with Problem Based Learning

Problem based learning and its outcomes for students has been praised for its theoretical soundness however the results in the classroom have been mixed. The theoretical outcomes have been supported in studies such as connecting new concepts to previous concepts, collaboration, and social interactions. Most of these studies talk about the theories and then jump to the results at the end with little if any direction on implementation. Project based learning has the students use problem solving skills in order to connect prior knowledge and current knowledge to a project or problem; thus leading to some development of self-directed learning skills (Hung, 2011). Small groups were deemed effective for students’ learning especially in the areas of content integration, critical thinking, communication skills, self-directed learning, and the connection between concepts and a clinical problem. Challenges to PBL are the tutor’s effectiveness, offering identical challenging and relevant cases to each group, and the shared learning environment (Long & Qin, 2014). Due to being spoon fed until arriving at this school, the students were weak in thinking skills. The students were not resourceful in looking for information or how to ask for help. To overcome this challenge, the teacher would provide the

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students with tools to help them work through the thinking process, for example mind mapping (Mansor, Abdullah, Wahab, Rasul, Nor, & Raof, 2015). In using PBL in the classroom, the teacher would need to understand what PBL is and how to implement it. At first, studies found that there will be push back by the students because they want to do the bare minimum.

However, if the teacher builds in necessary supports and authentic projects, the students will learn the critical thinking skills and collaboration skills.

Student Ownership

Problem or project based learning requires students to take an active role in their learning. This requires the students to be responsible and participate in the process of learning and making meaning. This process is difficult for many students at first because this role conflicts with habits they have developed over the years where they are passive recipients of knowledge. To become these active learners, students must develop self-regulated learning skills. These skills refer to how metacognitively, motivationally, and behaviorally active the student is in their own learning process. When students possess these skills, it leads to students successfully becoming active learners and thus learning the concepts in order to solve the problem or project. Newly prepared PBL teachers found the greatest struggles with PBL are the students lack of motivation, lack of ability to take responsibility for learning, poor behavior, and negative attitudes. When self-regulated learning skills become a focus in addition to the project or

problem, it allows for the teacher to provide necessary supports for the students to develop these skills as well as learn the content (English & Kitsantas, 2013). Self-regulated learning is a large component of problem and project based learning. In this study, they looked at the quantitative data of student self-reports of self-regulated learning and experience of autonomy support in a

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problem or project based learning environment. Based on the results, it can be implied that the project based learning courses have more effect on student self-regulated learning than problem based learning. The data also suggests that the students in the project based learning course had a greater sense of autonomy support due to the authenticity of the problems provided (Stefanou, et al., 2013). In project based learning, students need to actively frame and reframe the problems in order to learn the concepts to arrive at a solution. This added freedom and choice allowed for the students to take ownership of the problem and thus they gathered information, generated ideas, and evaluated those ideas in a purposeful manner (Svihla & Reeve, 2016). Being aware of the student ownership that is necessary in PBL allows for the teacher to address the challenge head on. Incorporating supports to allow for students to learn the self-regulated learning skills allows for them to learn how to learn in a PBL environment and in general. Once the students have these skills, the challenge will be addressed and students will be able to reap all of the benefits of PBL.

Implementing Problem Based Learning: Assessment in Problem Based Learning

Problem based learning allows for students to review their work, reflect on their work, provide feedback to peers through peer assessment, and provide feedback to themselves through self assessment. Assessment in problem based learning is different that traditional forms of testing and evaluation because it not based on fact memorization but rather knowledge application and knowledge transfer. By offering opportunities throughout a project for assessment, it thus allows for students to reflect on their learning and continue to improve (McDonald, 2008). In PBL, rubrics are used as an assessment tool for the project the students have been working on. This rubric can encompass concepts as well as other pieces needed to

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complete their final product. The rubrics used should remain bias free and the teacher should fully understand the rubric (Bahri. Azli, Samah, 2012). The fairness of assessment is another piece that takes adjustment on the students part. Much of the time, students are only recorded for their work; with problem based learning, students are held individually responsible for their learning but they are also assessed in the group setting. Students fear that the their grade will be negatively impacted by weaker students in the group. However, this is an opportunity for the students to collaborate together to reach a common goal with the rubric the students have prior to starting the project. In a large study, it was found that high-achieving students placed in groups that rewarded both individual and group achievement resulted better for the students by scoring higher on a unit test as well as taking on the leadership role within their group (Kumar & Refaei, 2013). The creation and use of a rubric in PBL is essential to the project. All involved in the project, teacher and students alike, should be able to fully understand the rubric and how it will be assessed. In PBL, there are built in stages of reflection. The students submit pieces of their project to both peers and the teacher for feedback to then be applied back into the project. This added reflection in addition to traditional forms of assessment allow for students to showcase their knowledge.

Labs and Problem Based Learning

In the traditional physics classroom, labs are closed-ended. The procedure and results are known beforehand and the students have to put little if any thought into the process of

completing a lab. Open-ended labs allow for students to conduct inquiry in order to draw their own conclusions. For the first and remaining labs, the teachers only provided the students with the problem and the rest was up to the students. They were to collect appropriate data, write up

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their results, and analyze and interpret the results. As a result of only providing the problem, students would use each other as resources to work through and understand the lab, having small group and sometimes large group discussions. The students determined what was needed or appropriate for the lab write ups based on the procedure they conducted and used evidence to support their choices. The teachers also found that by altering the labs, the students made insightful analyses and did not blame error on simple thoughts. They reflected on their

experimental methods and explained what some sources of error could be as well as why they would be a source of error. Aside from the better conceptual understanding, students also enjoyed open-ended labs more due to the investigative process and the students were far more engaged. As a result, the quality of lab write ups was far superior to previous methods. The students demonstrated science process abilities that allowed them to construct models, design experiments, solve open ended problems, and collaboratively work with their peers. (Szott, 2014). This study looked at an environmental chemistry lab and took a cookbook lab (one that provides step by step procedures for the students to follow) and turned it into what could be a real life scenario. To begin the project, the students were told that an investor wanted to purchase some property in order to turn it into a community sports complex. There is a pond in the back corner of the property that is desired to turn into a swimming space. The students were required to submit an official report that includes findings and recommendations for the company. Ninety percent of the students were able to create procedures or flow charts that were viable for

separating out cations (Hicks & Bevsek, 2011). A professor at Wabash College wanted to create a new twist on a physics class for non science students. The class would be lab-centered and would provide the students hands-on practice doing science. He created a course that would

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focus on the process of science by following a framework similar to that of MythBusters. In this class, the students would solve various myths in a two stage process. In each of the processes, the students would follow the experimental method followed by MythBusters. The process begins with research, the students would research the myth and determine the concepts behind the myth. Next would be design, build, and execute. In this stage, the students would be designing their own experiments to test out the concepts and the myth. Analyze is the following step. In this step, the students would analyze their results to form a conclusion. After forming a conclusion, the students would then communicate their findings using the concepts they learned, the lab they created, and the results they found (Madsen, 2011). Continuing the PBL mindset of student centered lessons, labs have been proven to provide similar results. By only posing the problem or essential question at the beginning of the lab, the students need to think about what they know and determine how to address that problem. The students will be doing the same process for an overall project therefore the students will be seeing the learning gains both in the project and in the lab.

Physics Curriculums

Traditional curriculums of physics courses follow the Newtonian approach. When students arrive in the classroom, they have preconceived ideas about how the world works around them and generally do not change their thinking or understanding through the completion of the class. Newtonian physics is based on the findings of Isaac Newton. In this traditional form of curriculum, the students would first learn about mechanics and later on learn about modern physics. When learning about these two large components, there are two different paradigms that must be understood. The shifting of the paradigms, the study suggests, leads to students

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disinterest as well as misunderstanding. These misunderstandings stem from learning more about the equations associated with the concepts and scratching the surface with the concepts. But focusing more on the students daily interactions and applying the physics concepts to these scenarios, the students do not have to shift their thinking but rather apply concepts to experiences they have seen (Martinás & Tremmel, 2014). With the new Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) being implemented, science classes are encouraged to incorporate these standards in order to promote science literacy. In order to be an exemplary teacher, they would need to include all components of the science standards; them being: content standards, science and engineering practices, connections to the nature of science, and cross-cutting concepts

(Concannon & Brown, 2017). The department went from a traditional lecture based curriculum to an activity based curriculum where the students would be learning the concepts through hands on learning experiences. The classes still covered the same amount of concepts per each semester with the new method as well as remained around the same amount of teaching time. These hands on activities could range from completing an inquiry activity to interactive lecture

demonstrations. No matter the activity, the students were required to complete a forced response. This response required the students to make an initial response to demonstrate what they know prior as well as identify any misconceptions. Throughout the activity as well as at the end, the students would reflect on their learning (Yoder & Cook, 2014). Restructuring the traditional physics curriculum to one that applies to scenarios or experiences the students experience daily will allow for the students to become more invested. The students will be more invested because they are able to see how concepts relate to their life and the restructuring allows for the students to not have to restructure how they think. By allowing the students to wonder about experiences

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they have had and applying the concepts to these experiences, it will allow more a more meaningful connection and the students will not have the paradigm shift limiting them. The projects in the proposed curriculum would be experiences or scenarios the students have experienced or can experience. Within this curriculum shift, the science standards required will need to be incorporated. PBL lends itself to these standards because the students are already connecting different concepts, covering content standards, and designing a solution.

Conclusion

Problem based learning allows for students to be at the center of the lesson. Studies have shown that PBL is more effective than conventional teaching approaches because it allows the students to develop greater motivation, interest in subjects, learning satisfaction, confidence in learning, knowledge acquisition, using their resources, and self-directed work. PBL is especially useful because it allows the students to solve meaningful and authentic problems through inquiry or discovery (Kin Hang Wong & Day, 2009). The use of PBL and the reflection techniques not only allow for the students to walk away from the class better understanding the concepts, but they also develop necessary career skills such as collaboration and using their resources. In order to arrive at this satisfaction, there is some adjustment needed at the beginning of the course. The students in most cases are used to being spoon fed information therefore it takes some time to adjust to being in the driver's seat to their learning. When implemented in the classroom students would do the bare minimum. Many students would skip brainstorming and elaborating of their ideas and try to complete the task fast and on the first try (Hung, 2011). Once the students are provided supports and become used to guiding their learning they will be able to flourish. The students will become successful both in the lab setting and on their assessments. He found that

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the students had a better grasp of basic physics concepts and a better understanding of the process of science. The students showed significant improvements in real world connection, problem solving general, and problem solving confidence (Madsen, 2011). The reconfiguration of the physics curriculum will allow for students to learn physics as it applies to their daily lives therefore making it more applicable.

Project Outline

My final project will consist of a series of projects making up a project based learning physics curriculum. Each project will consist of a scenario or experience the students have or could encounter at some point in their life. These scenarios and experiences will shape the flow of the curriculum as well as form the essential question to be answered at the end of each project. This curriculum will cover the same standards required of a traditional high school physics, just in a different way. Similar to curriculum created by Martinás and Tremmel, the students will learn concepts that apply to each of the scenarios (2014). Concepts can reoccur thus allowing for more connections to be made to the concepts. It is important when creating the different projects, that over the span of the curriculum, each standard is addressed at least once in the projects. The structure of a problem is crucial to student understanding. When a problem is well-structured students have strategies to tackle the problem and be successful in project based learning (Svihla & Reeve, 2016). Drafting the project or problem is going to be a crucial first step in order to ensure a flow in the curriculum and that the students and teacher alike understand what is expected of them.

Once the curriculum is created, it can be used as a guide or reference for educators in physics to allow for a student centered classroom in which everything applies back to the

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students lives. By breaking down the projects, it will allow for educators to have a path to follow in their own classroom.

Chapter Three: Narrative

High school physics classrooms tend to follow a typical curriculum. They start with mechanics and then work their way to electricity and modern physics. This style of curriculum allows for students to learn all necessary standards, however it leads to students believing that concepts taught at the beginning of the year do not connect to concepts learned at the end of the year. Gok supports the change in curriculum due to many students leaving the class with the same or more misconceptions when physics is taught in the traditional sense (2015). The proposed curriculum is taught in project based learning form. This will encompass five projects that cover all of the necessary standards, however they do not follow the traditional curriculum. In this curriculum, students will learn concepts that pertain to a certain experience or scenario. These experiences or scenarios will be made into five projects in which the students will learn concepts in order to apply them to the experience or scenario. As supported by Kin Hang Wong and Day, PBL is more effective than conventional teaching approaches because the students develop greater motivation, interest in the project or concepts, using their resources, and self-directed work. PBL is especially useful because it allows the students to solve meaningful and authentic problems through inquiry or discovery (2009). The students may see the same concept in every project, while they also may see one concept in just one project. Through recurring concepts it allows for students to see how concepts relate to each other and that they are not separated. With the recurring concepts, it will also allow for the students to continuously reflect on their learning and to see how physics relates to their lives. The change in curriculum

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and continuous observations of concepts is supported by Martinás and Tremmel because it allows the curriculum to focus more on the students daily interactions and applying the physics concepts to scenarios or projects (2014). By having projects, it allows for authentic learning because each project applies to the students lives in some shape or form. The final curriculum lays out five projects to be covered over the course of one year that addresses all of the physics standards required by New York State.

Providing an authentic learning environment for students in which they can apply the projects to their lives allows for students investment. Project based learning allows for the learning to be placed in the students hands as well as allows for them to develop essential skills such as communication skills and problem solving skills. Student ownership of their learning is amplified through PBL as supported by Hugert as students were observed to be more actively involved in their learning and therefore have more control of their learning in the PBL setting (2016). With these skills and the project set up, it allows for the students to critically think about the concepts and to apply them to their daily lives. By incorporating all concepts applicable to a particular scenario or project, instead of following the traditional physics curriculum, it allows for students to continuously see concepts in order to retain the concepts and meet higher order Bloom’s by applying the concepts and scenarios to their lives.

The five projects included are a public service announcement on the dangers of texting and driving, a poster and presentation meant to educate all on bow and arrow hunting, a designed and created escape room, a debate on the impact of technology, and a musical product that impacts one’s mood. Each of these projects will cover the necessary New York State Standards and will flow from one project to the next. There are various resources included for each of the

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projects in order to allow for a teacher to roll out the student centered curriculum. For each project there is a driving or essential question that all content and project work connects back to. From there, there is a project summary that provides the teacher with a brief overview of the project as well as an entry event to kick off the project and draw the students interest. Once the project is kicked off, the students are provided a calendar and rubric that allows for them to see exactly what is expected of them. This also allows the teacher to have an assessment tool for the project at the conclusion of the project. The calendar provides an outline for the teacher and student to follow including due dates and when content will be learned. The due dates include dates for when labs are due, quizzes that are coming as well as the formative assessment at the end of the project. To work in hand with the already mentioned resources, there are also sample lesson plans that allow for a teacher to mimic a typical day. According to the calendar there are three different typical days: content day, project day, and lab day. For each of those days there is a sample lesson plan as well as resources necessary to complete that lesson. The assessments for each project are also included to provide feedback to the students as well as the teacher as to the progress of learning.

Project One

Project one kicks off the school year as the first project based learning project. This project encompases the traditional kinematics with momentum, impulse, kinetic energy, and Conservation of Momentum included. This project is based on texting and driving as the students are beginning to learn to drive or are already. Within this project students will create their own PSA to communicate the dangers of texting and driving with added concepts to support their arguments.

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The resources for project one are for both the teacher/instructor and student alike. There is a project outline that outlines all of the standards to be addressed in the project, the entry event, a brief description of the project, student objectives, and resources necessary. To support the outline, there is a rubric that provides the students a clear idea of what to include in their PSA as well as provides the teacher with an assessment tool for the project. The calendar also

provides the teacher and students with a sense of progress through the project. Students know when to complete graded assignments as well as provides dates for assessments. The sample lessons and supporting documents allow for the teacher to gain an idea of what a typical content day, lab day, and project day would look like in this curriculum. The assessments also provide the teacher a resource to assess individual progress.

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Project One Rubric: _{Provides the students with an expectation of the project and the teacher with}

an assessment tool.

The calendar below is used for the pacing of the project as well as to determine the deadlines or due dates for work. The plan for this project was to cover a total of eight weeks, this is due to the large amounts of content to be covered as well as the opportunity for reflection on the project. Being that this is the first project, the first concept(s) the students see are essential and will be built upon in the project as well as throughout the year. It starts with kinematics and uses previous concepts to understand kinetic energy, momentum, impulse, and the Conservation of Momentum. Quizzes and formative assessments are spaced roughly every two weeks in order to showcase individual understanding in the assessment setting. The project days are also spaced

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throughout the project to allow for connections of content to be continuously made back to the project.

Project One Calendar: _{The calendar provides the students and teacher with an expectation of}

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Sample Content Lesson

The sample content lesson included provides a lesson plan, notes, and a practice sheet for the students to complete during the span of the class period. The lesson provided allows for a teacher to see a typical day in the classroom. In PBL, there is very rarely lecturing used

therefore, this lesson allows the students to discover acceleration and motion graphs through the completion of an obstacle course. The teacher is a facilitator in this setting as the students work at their own pace through the notes/obstacle course. The instructor checks the students work as they go and provides help when needed. After completing the notes in pairs or a group, the students then individually complete the practice to showcase their understanding of the concepts. The teacher provides feedback to the practice and returns it to the students to allow for growth.

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Sample Project Lesson

The project lesson included provides the teacher/instructor with a lesson plan to span the class period. Once the teacher goes over the rubric, the students then work in their groups to meet the standards of the rubric through their own pacing.

Sample Lab Lesson

The sample lab lesson included provides the teacher with a lesson plan and lab for the students to complete. This lab was provided because it is inquiry based and requires the students to recall on their understanding of concepts.

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Project One Sample Lessons: _{The lessons above include three types of lessons: content, lab, and}

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Quiz 1

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Formative Assessment

Project One Assessments: _{Above are the different assessments needed for the project. Each of}

the assessments follow the calendar and allow for the content to be broken up along the project. The formative assessment is included to assess all concepts learned during the project.

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Project Two

Project two allows for the students to have an authentic connection to hunting. This project will kick off during the first few weeks of hunting season and many of the students are avid hunters or have members in their family that hunt. The students will be creating a poster to draw an audience to an educational session on hunting. The students will also create a

presentation for this informational session.

The resources for project two are for both the teacher/instructor and student alike. There is a project outline that outlines all of the standards to be addressed in the project, the entry event, a brief description of the project, student objectives, and resources necessary. To support the outline, there is a rubric that provides the students a clear idea of what to include in their poster and presentation as well as provides the teacher with an assessment tool for the project. The calendar also provides the teacher and students with a sense of progress through the project. Students know when to complete graded assignments as well as provides dates for assessments. The sample lessons and supporting documents allow for the teacher to gain an idea of what a typical content day, lab day, and project day would look like in this curriculum. The assessments also provide the teacher a resource to assess individual progress.

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The calendar for project two is spaced over nine weeks meeting wise. This project similarly to project one includes a large amount of content therefore it requires more time to cover. In addition to the content spanning across this time, the project is also co-taught with the physical education teacher in which coordinating time in the gym to shoot archery is a factor. Due to the two breaks spanning this project, the project was broken into two pieces. Prior to the November break, the students will have taken the first quiz as well as completed a lab that

involves analyzing their individual archery skills. During this time, the students will have learned projectile motion as well as taken a quiz to assess individual knowledge. The lab that is done in class is used as the first two pieces of the rubric. After returning from break, the students will learn all concepts related to forces, work, and power. The students will also take a quiz or assessment roughly every two weeks to showcase their individual understanding in an assessment setting. Project days are planned into the calendar to allow for the students to continuously connect back to the educating hunters poster and archery component.

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Project Two Calendar: _{The calendar provides the students and teacher with an expectation of}

what is done each day including due dates. Sample Content Lesson

The sample content lesson included provides a lesson plan, notes, and a practice sheet for the students to complete during the span of the class period. The lesson provided allows for a teacher to see how Newton’s First and Third Laws can be discovered in the classroom. The students use a simple activity of pushing someone in a chair to discover Newton’s First Law and push each others hands to discover Newton’s Third Law. The teacher is a facilitator in this setting as the students work at their own pace through the activities/notes. The instructor checks

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the students work as they go and provides help when needed. After completing the notes in a group, the students then individually complete the practice to showcase their understanding of the concepts. The teacher provides feedback to the practice and returns it to the students to allow for growth.

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The project lesson included provides the teacher/instructor with a lesson plan to span the class period. After providing the quiz, included in the assessment section, the students will then work on improving their posters with the provided feedback.

Sample Lab Lesson

The sample lab lesson included provides the teacher with a lesson plan and lab for the students to complete. This lab was provided because it is inquiry based, it requires the students to recall on their understanding of concepts, and asks the students to recall their actions done in physical education in order to complete the lab.

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Quiz 1

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Quiz Three

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Project Two Assessments: _{Above are the different assessments needed for the project. Each of}

Project Three

Project three allows for the students to get creative and create an escape room based on the concepts they learn during the project. This project will kick off by having them escape a room that the instructor created using concepts the students have learned throughout the year. In getting creative, the teams will create problems/questions/riddles for a team to solve as well as set up the room in a way that allows for a unique experience.

The resources for project three are for both the teacher/instructor and student alike. There is a project outline that outlines all of the standards to be addressed in the project, the entry

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the outline, there is a rubric that provides the students a clear idea of what to include in their escape room as well as provides the teacher with an assessment tool for the project. The calendar also provides the teacher and students with a sense of progress through the project. Students know when to complete graded assignments as well as provides dates for assessments. The sample lessons and supporting documents allow for the teacher to gain an idea of what a typical content day, lab day, and project day would look like in this curriculum. The assessments also provide the teacher a resource to assess individual progress.

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Project Three Outline_{: Includes standards, project overview, and resources needed for the}

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Project Three Rubric: _{Provides the students with an expectation of the project and the teacher}

with an assessment tool.

Project three is a shorter project in respect to the other projects as it spans four weeks on the calendar. There is less content in this project which leads to the smaller timeline and the placement of this project allows for the students to have a “break” from the longer projects to work on a smaller one. Though it is shorter, the project’s content is not any less valuable. It starts with vector addition and potential energy which leads to Conservation of Energy. This project only has the formative assessment due to the content load, however there are labs that are given every week to ensure that the students understand the concepts and the application of them. Aside from the first day, the project days are placed at the end of this project to allow for them to plan and create the room in consecutive days.

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Project Three Calendar: _{The calendar provides the students and teacher with an expectation of}

The sample content lesson included provides a lesson plan, notes, and a practice sheet for the students to complete during the span of the class period. This lesson was chosen to include as there are some concepts that require repetition in order to master the process, conversions is one of those processes. After completing the notes in pairs, the students then individually complete the practice to showcase their understanding of the concepts. The teacher provides feedback to the practice and returns it to the students to allow for growth.

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The project lesson included provides the teacher/instructor with a lesson plan to span the class period. The students will use their rubric in their groups to meet the standards through their own pacing.

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Sample Lab Lesson

The sample lab lesson included provides the teacher with a lesson plan and lab for the students to complete. This lab was provided because it applies to the students lives by using a park they regularly attend.

Project Three Sample Lessons: _{The lessons above include three types of lessons: content, lab,}

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Project Three Assessment: _{Above is the assessment needed for the project. The formative}

assessment is included to assess all concepts learned during the project. Project Four

Project four allows for the students to utilize research strategies to support their side of the debate. This project will kick off by having them read two different, conflicting articles on the effect technology has on one’s health. Through their research the students will be able to

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form an argument as well as research the opposers viewpoint to have a well rounded debate. The students will also get creative in the creation of the concept overview. In the overview, the students will address each of the concepts learned during the project in order to inform someone who does not know physics.

The resources for project four are for both the teacher/instructor and student alike. There is a project outline that outlines all of the standards to be addressed in the project, the entry event, a brief description of the project, student objectives, and resources necessary. To support the outline, there is a rubric that provides the students a clear idea of what to include in their debate plan and concept overview as well as provides the teacher with an assessment tool for the project. The calendar also provides the teacher and students with a sense of progress through the project. Students know when to complete graded assignments as well as provides dates for assessments. The sample lessons and supporting documents allow for the teacher to gain an idea of what a typical content day, lab day, and project day would look like in this curriculum. The assessments also provide the teacher a resource to assess individual progress.

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Project Four Rubric: _{Provides the students with an expectation of the project and the teacher}

Project four spans six weeks to include all of the traditional electricity and magnetism unit. Each concept in this project builds on each other starting with an atom and working its way up to parallel circuits. Electronics some would argue is an essential piece of daily life therefore the students will continuously throughout the project connect back to the debate. Quizzes and the formative assessment are spaced roughly every two weeks to allow for individual assessment data. Though there is only one lab in this project, there are hands on opportunities nearly every day to ensure the students are applying their understanding of concepts.

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Project Four Calendar: _{The calendar provides the students and teacher with an expectation of}

The sample content lesson included provides a lesson plan, notes, and a practice sheet for the students to complete during the span of the class period. The lesson provided allows for a teacher to see what it looks like for students to discover atoms and Coulomb’s Law through a simulation. After completing the notes in pairs, the students then individually complete the

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practice to showcase their understanding of the concepts. The teacher provides feedback to the practice and returns it to the students to allow for growth.

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The project lesson included provides the teacher/instructor with a lesson plan to span the class period. After completing their quiz, included in the assessments portion, the students will then individually research articles for their debate.

Sample Lab Lesson

The sample lab lesson included provides the teacher with a lesson plan and lab for the students to complete. This lab was provided because it is inquiry based and requires the students to recall on their understanding of concepts to construct different types of circuits.

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Project Four Sample Lessons: _{The lessons above include three types of lessons: content, lab, and}

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Quiz 1

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Project Four Assessments: _{Above are the different assessments needed for the project. Each of}

Project Five

Project five allows for the students to utilize research strategies to understand how music can or does affect one’s mood. After researching, the students will then create a product

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that makes music and impacts one’s mood. This project will kick off by having the students listen to various types of music. While listening to the music, the students will record how they feel during the song. Through their research the students will be able to create an annotated bibliography that explains how music impacts one’s mood. Using this research, the students will get creative in the constructing of their product as to what it looks like, how it makes music, and they type of impact the music will have.

The resources for project five are for both the teacher/instructor and student alike. There is a project outline that outlines all of the standards to be addressed in the project, the entry event, a brief description of the project, student objectives, and resources necessary. To support the outline, there is a rubric that provides the students a clear idea of what to include in their annotated bibliography and musical product as well as provides the teacher with an assessment tool for the project. The calendar also provides the teacher and students with a sense of progress through the project. Students know when to complete graded assignments as well as provides dates for assessments. The sample lessons and supporting documents allow for the teacher to gain an idea of what a typical content day, lab day, and project day would look like in this curriculum. The assessments also provide the teacher a resource to assess individual progress.

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Project Five Rubric: _{Provides the students with an expectation of the project and the teacher}

The curriculum wraps up with the fifth project which is typically the waves unit in other curriculums. This project spans six weeks and allows for the concepts to be learned on the front end with the project work to be done on the back end. This is done in part due to the timing of the project and the end of the school year as well as it allows the groups to continue constructing their pieces over a span of days. There are two individual assessments placed in this project to showcase individual understanding in the assessment setting. The students will have a lab to work on in between the two assessments in order to showcase their knowledge as well.

Throughout this project, the students will have many opportunities to have either hands on work or simulation work to apply each of the concepts.

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Project Five Calendar: _{The calendar provides the students and teacher with an expectation of}

The sample content lesson included provides a lesson plan, notes, and a practice sheet for the students to complete during the span of the class period. The lesson provided allows for a teacher to see a lesson where students use online resources and simulations to discover the characteristics of waves. After completing the notes in pairs, the students then individually complete the practice to showcase their understanding of the concepts. The teacher provides feedback to the practice and returns it to the students to allow for growth.

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The project lesson included provides the teacher/instructor with a lesson plan to span the class period. After showcasing their individual understanding, the students will then in groups research articles on how music can affect one’s mood, to be later used in creating a product.

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Sample Lab Lesson

The sample lab lesson included provides the teacher with a lesson plan and lab for the students to complete. This lab was provided because it is simulation based and it provides the students with some choice in their lab completion.

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Project Five Sample Lessons: _{The lessons above include three types of lessons: content, lab, and}

project. Each of the lessons include the materials needed for the lesson. Quiz 1

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Project Five Assessments: _{Above are the different assessments needed for the project. Each of}

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Reflective Discussion

This five project, project based learning (PBL) curriculum allows for a student centered classroom and allows the students to take ownership of their learning. Through this, students actively frame and reframe the problems in order to learn the concepts to arrive at a solution to the project. The freedom and choice provided through PBL allows for the students to take ownership of the problem and thus they gather information, generate ideas, and evaluate those ideas in a purposeful manner (Svihla & Reeve, 2016). Through each of the projects, the students are able to find a personal connection to the material in a way they take ownership of and invest in their learning. The PBL way of learning allows the students to have an overarching essential or driving question to continuously connect to, whether it be a content, lab, or project day. Hung agrees that project based learning has the students use problem solving skills in order to connect prior knowledge and current knowledge to a project (2011). The resources provided aid the teacher and student alike in order for the curriculum to meet New York State Standards as well as allow for the students to reflect, get creative, and express their learning in additional ways. While the project is group oriented, there are opportunities for individual assessment in order to gauge individual learning as well as group progress. PBL allows for students to not only develop understanding of concepts in physics but also to learn necessary skills for the workplace such as collaboration, meeting deadlines, and improving work based on feedback. Small groups were deemed effective for students’ learning especially in the areas of content integration, critical thinking, communication skills, self-directed learning, and the connection between concepts and a problem (Long & Qin, 2014). Therefore this PBL curriculum not only meets what is asked for by state requirements but also develops students into individual thinkers that will better the

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future workplace.

In compiling this curriculum, it has allowed for me to reflect on my planning in order to be detail oriented. Being detail oriented in creating the resources has forced me to think about the overarching driving or essential question. In this curriculum I wanted the students to find value therefore I choose projects that apply to their daily lives in some form. By having the concepts and projects apply to their daily lives the students are more apt to invest in the project as well as persevere when times get difficult. In being detail oriented with my planning, it has allowed for me to look at the flow of the typical physics curriculum and move it around in a way that students are revisiting concepts and having the projects dictate the concepts instead of shaping labs and projects around the concepts. These big picture projects allow for students to think not only about the concepts, but also about the world around them and allows for them to begin thinking scientifically outside of the classroom through questioning and application. The rubrics and calendars reflect this because it is shaped by the project and content fills in the gaps. The lessons also show how the concepts connect back to the project by either including questions that relate to the project or by providing information the students can use in each project. The

assessments allow for the teacher and student alike to gauge the individual students’

understanding of the concepts, therefore within the projects it allows for students to develop all these necessary skills as well as learn physics. McDonald agrees that by offering opportunities throughout a project for assessment, it allows for students to reflect on their learning and continue to improve (2008). The research done prior to the creation of this curriculum is also appreciated as it is nice to know that there are studies supporting a changed physics curriculum as well as all of the skills the students develop in addition to concepts in PBL. I have appreciated